Lore Behind Elysion
Elysion, a world of balance - chaos and order, dark and light, religion and science. Step foot into Elysion and explore the great mysteries of past generations, journey deep into the bowels of the Faedor Mountains, navigate the northern forests of Etheria, brave the frigid cold of the snowy southern plains, or sail off into the great unknown. Mystery and fantasy fuel the imagination and sense of wonder in this dynamic, ever-changing environment. Borealis the central kingdom of all Elysion, watched over by the monks of Adaesu as it sits in ruins awaiting for the true heir to return. Grab your shovel and your sword and prepare to begin your adventure. With your alliance set you must choose your path in life, in a world filled with endless possibilities and potential. Pick your trade, contact a master and live out your life to its fullest. The War of Succession amongst the most powerful Houses has resulted in several shifts in power. Many have have risen to prominence as they conquer others and consolidate power. Today, four major Houses remain, each still competing for the Obsidian Throne. Enter the world that competes and struggles for the Rise of the King. The year was 1359 of the First Age, and the people of Elysion lived in relative tranquility, in the small trading village of Borealis. Nearby to the East lays The Shard; an unchanging eternal structure of crystal, believed to have been cast down from the Gods. Bordering the south of Borealis was the central region of Adaesu. Within the valley live the monks, whos prolonged life has been credited to the shard nearby. Surrounding Adaesu also lays many gifts, left over from the times of prehistory...Passages to hellish worlds. Dungeons with loot left untouched for thousands of years, and one of the few cracks through the bedrock shelf. This all lead to the expansion of Borealis, as travellers discover the wonders of this isolated region. It became a trade hub for all Elysion, as the local camps of Neandolas, commonly referred to as 'villagers' all use it as a communal market. It soon became clear with such rapid growth something needed to be done. It was there when the monks were believed to have intervened and were given the rights over the future expansion of the central realm. By the year 1560 four very different families had moved to Borealis, and through deals with the monks, controlling resources, and outright violence, they had taken control of Borealis. The monks still maintain the deciding vote for any plans made, however the families generally got what they want. The four families had very different ways of thinking thinking though. House Stormhammer originally came from the mountains range of Faedor to the West. They spent their days sifting through rock for expensive minerals, and searching caves by torchlight. After some minor trades with Borealis, they felt the clan would do better living and working in the village, so the long journey began. House Stormhammer began to make use of the crack in the bedrock shelf nearby, to get to the more valuable materials below and within months had fully established themselves as a head family of Borealis. The small town then began to expand further as House Sarrowmerk, a local carpentry family from the Etherian forests to the North, moved into the picture. They soon discovered the wealth, and relative luxury of Borealis after some small trades. Soon after, the monks gained some new furniture for their homes, along with new bridges in place of the old structures. New homes emerged, and the sly House Sarrowmerk moved in, taking over a substantial part of Borealis. Time passed, and the town expanded further. Borealis had truly become the centre of Elysion. A few quarrels had emerged between the two houses. Lord Sarrowmerk disagreed with digging up and polluting the world for the sake of wealth. And Lord Stormhammer disliked the way Sarrowmerk tricked their way into many situations. The town grew bigger, as more and more heard of this central hub of Elysion. Resources were stretched thin by the incoming immigrants. A new house stood up from the Eastern Plains of Fae, House Darrowmere. Until now, they had enjoyed lucrative food trades with Borealis, but it was clear that someone needed to take hold of the food situation. Lord Darrowmere was drafted in from his farming community to aid this starving town. Of course, a huge home right in the centre of Borealis was offered for his services to the growing empire. Borealis then lay in peace for a few decades, bar the odd drunken brawl between the pompous houses. The town grew into a city, as word spread further and further afield of the wonders of Borealis. The fertile mines. The powerful shard. The ever-expanding market. And the all-knowing monks. The growth at times was not welcomed though, as undesirable characters from all parts of the world started to congregate in this melting pot of development. Thieves, drug addicts, black market traders, and murderers all moved in, alongside the hard working citizens of Borealis. A new breed of man was drafted in to help clear this plague of intolerable people. The hardened men of the deep South were brought in to keep the streets clean, and to keep the newly imposed curfew under order. These men lived most of their lives under roofs made of ice, and were unaccustomed to this more temperate area. They soon settled in into this new way of life, as the honourable protectors of the city. The men of House Winterbane. For many years this group of houses lived together, and controlled the city of Borealis in an uneasy truce. Bickering and the odd fight outside The Powedery Keg was about as far as things went. The occasional undead horde attempted its invasion on the city, but to no avail. The year was 1607 when the first strike fell. The families had lived in relative harmony, until two young lovers joined from Winterbane, and Sarrowmerk. The feuds erupted like fireworks. Both families disagreed with the relationship, but more than that they were both angered by each other getting offended at the others discontent. Things quickly spiralled out of control, and the fights grew more fierce, until one morning the young couple were discovered at their home, throats slit in the night. Sarrowmerk blamed Winterbane, Winterbane blamed Sarrowmerk, and Darrowmere has strong suspicions the gruff figures of Stormhammer were somehow involved. The scraps in the streets soon grew into full blown violent feuds. Once dignified people were dragged from their homes and beaten in the streets, but still no conclusion was arrived at over the death of the lovers. The monks decided to step in, after three years of fighting, in 1610. Enough was enough. The members of the families were dragged into Adaesu, where the monks told them all houses were to leave the precious city. They were sent back in the directions they had originally come from. The angered houses soon realised that without all four of them in Borealis, the city would soon fall short to some degree, so they reluctantly agreed to go and establish themselves separately. Centuries passed, with the development of the 4 houses continuing strongly declared the beginning of the Second Age. By Year 40 of the Second Age, many foreigners had begun to arrive in Elysion, and their first stop was Borealis. These people were those who had been chased out of Aurora by the military head. They sought refuge in this supposed paradise. Many gifts and offerings were brought to the monks, who had again regained control of Borealis. The old Arcadian empire disagreed with the ways of the leader in Aurora, so also made the long journey to Elysion. They brought enough supplies to build a beautiful sandstone palace in the heart of Borealis, and also a much more precious gift. The old, yet grand, Obsidian Thrones. News soon spread to the exiled four houses of this influx of new travellers, and new wealth, and a flame for Borealis was reignited. Stormhammer marched into town in the year 65, fully kitted and ready for battle. Needless to say no one stood in their way. The now booming city was the biggest trade hub in the world. Ownership would be fought for. The other three didn't take at all kindly to this invasion of the truce, and so started the war of succession, the Rise of the Kings.